


you came and tore it all down

by haipollai



Category: Avengers (Comics), Hawkeye (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Clint gets himself hurt, F/M, Good Advice!Steve, Hurt/Comfort, Kate deals with the consequences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-26
Updated: 2013-01-26
Packaged: 2017-11-27 00:48:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/656156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haipollai/pseuds/haipollai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Kate holds the bow tightly in one hand, not sure what else to do. Her head hurts. Her everything hurts, it's deep and agonizing and there's nothing to do about it. The pain isn't hers, no amount of painkillers will help.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Nothing makes it go away.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	you came and tore it all down

**Author's Note:**

> Tie in to [in my fortress alone until you came](http://archiveofourown.org/works/650749)  
> Title from Sleep in the Snow by Yellowcard  
> Using this for my free space in trope bingo, AU: Soulmates

Kate holds the bow tightly in one hand, not sure what else to do. Her head hurts. Her everything hurts, it's deep and agonizing and there's nothing to do about it. The pain isn't hers, no amount of painkillers will help.

Nothing makes it go away.

Bobbi is there on one side of her, holding her hand and Billy on her other side, running a hand soothingly over her back. They don't try to say anything to comfort her for which Kate is secretly grateful. She can't handle words, fake assurances. She _knows_ Clint is going to be okay. She knows it the same way she knows the feel of the bow in her hands. But the pain doesn't go away.

"The drugs don't really help, do they."

Kate's head shoots up at the new voice. Steve takes a seat across from her. "C-captain?"

"I think you can call me Steve. I came to see how my teammate was doing. And how you were holding up."

He looks at her and she really does believe he's there to check on her as much as Clint. "I…I…" She wants to say I'll be okay. She purses her lips when the words don't come. Steve nods and doesn't push. "You've felt this before?" She whispers.

"You've followed Bucky into a fight. One of the few he actually came out of in one piece." He smiles sheepishly. "Actually we learned how to deal with it because I kept on getting beaten up." He leans forward, his eyes falling to the bow.

It's Clint's, almost as precious to him as Kate is. He had it with him when Hydra overwhelmed them. Hydra riding dinosaurs. She'd laugh at how ridiculous it all was if laughing didn't hurt. "How did the pain go away?" She hates sounding weak and desperate. She can count on one hand the people who have seen her cry and she refuses to add any more names to that list.

"You have to put up whatever shields you have. He can't, so it's up to you."

She understands the point and she nods. Bobbi murmurs she's strong enough for this. Kate's hand tightens on the bow, grounding herself in the press of the grip against her palm. She imagines drawing back the string, focusing on the target. Between one breath and the next, and time slows as she focuses and finally releases.

It feels like the air rushes back into her lungs. The pain doesn't go away, not entirely. Clint is still there in the back of her mind. But she doesn't mind that. It's comfortable knowing he's there. With the pain slowly focusing into that one spot, she manages to finally sort out her own emotions. Gently, she sends what she hopes is reassurance and comfort. They're not very good at that, but she needs him to know that she's there.

Bobbi squeezes her hand and she opens her eyes, remembering suddenly where she is.

"Thank you."

Steve gives a small nod. "Be careful, the first time you touch. The pain will probably come back."

She slowly eases her grip on the bow and settles it across her lap. Her knuckles are white, even as she opens her fingers. "Touching, pain, got it."

"What are you doing here anyway, Cap?" Bobbi asks, sensing the moment was finally passing.

"I wanted to check on Clint." He doesn't look away from Kate and she thinks he might have told a small lie. He isn't there just for Clint. "How is he?"

Kate lets Bobbi list off all of Clint's injuries and Kate focuses on just keeping her walls up. Keeping the pain at bay. When the doctors finally come out of the OR, Kate is the first on her feet, with Bobbi a step behind.

"He'll be okay, he's unconscious now and we'll keep an eye on him but in a week or two he should be able to be taken home." 

-

Kate falls asleep next to Clint's bed, with her head on his thigh. She's drained from fighting off his pain. She's woken up by a hand fumbling over her face, almost poking her in the eye. She looks up at him, bandaged and hooked up to machines. His fingers curl around her cheek and she sees it as he lets out a breath and smiles. It's loopy from painkillers but it only grows when he meets her eyes.

"You idiot," she grumbles, not lifting her head.

"Someone had to do it."

She hums in understanding. It's useless telling him it doesn't have to be him because it won't change his mind. "If you die, I'm killing you again myself."

He laughs sharply, grimacing as it pulls on sore muscles and bruised skin, cutting the sound off. "Agreed." She moves, crawling carefully up onto the bed and fitting herself against his side. "Don't be like this, Katie Kate. I've gotten through worse. I died that one time."

She grins, she can't help it when he is so damn proud of himself. She pushes herself up on one arm to glare down at him. He grins up at her, completely unperturbed by any glare because he knows how she really feels. "God, you're such a moron."

"Love you too, Katie Kate."

"Stop calling me that."

"Make m-" She cuts him off with a kiss. He makes a tiny noise of surprise which she can feel against her lips, but they don't stop and she focuses on the feeling of him alive, and high out of his mind on morphine. It sends a warm fuzziness through her and they don't stop kissing until the nurses come to check on him.


End file.
